Eight Belles, We Hardly Knew Ya

Count PETA among the select few who didn’t find the humor in the morbid ending to yesterday’s Kentucky Derby.

PETA faxed a letter Sunday to Kentucky’s racing authority claiming the filly was “doubtlessly injured before the finish” and asked that Saez be suspended while Eight Belles’ death is investigated.

We’re not exactly sure what kind of super-horse the fine people at PETA think Eight Belles happened to be, but running at a full gallop on one broken leg is hard enough (just ask this girl). Running on two broken legs while carrying jockey Gabriel Saez well enough to finish second in the Kentucky Derby would have to be impossible.

“What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way?” PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. “If he didn’t then we can probably blame the fact that they’re allowed to whip the horses mercilessly.”

Just like a guy. Gets his jollies from beating a woman, then puts a bullet in her head when the fun is over. (Too soon?)

Sources: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, & TheOnlineWire